On 8 September 2026, the German Academies invite the public to Göttingen for their 2026 version of the annual “Akademientag”, held under the motto “Von Moin bis Meme. Sprache macht Gesellschaft” (“From Moin to Meme. Language Shapes Society”). As part of a research course (10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Adam-von-Trott-Saal), Dr Britta Mischke and Daniela Schulz will present the capitularia project and invite visitors to join in and discuss.
Rogue Popes in Taverns? What Medieval Copyists made of the Frankish Rulers’ degrees
Under this title, we’ll show at our stand how a single miscopied letter could once turn “Pope Gelasius” into a “rogue pope” (Latin scelus, “villain,” instead of Gelasius). Using examples of such interventions by copyists in the capitularies — some accidental, others quite deliberate — we demonstrate, how legal texts could change in the course of their handwritten transmission, and why a modern scholarly edition is far more than a straightforward reproduction of a text: it is what makes such changes visible in the first place, providing the reliable base for research into early medieval law. At the stand, visitors can browse digitised manuscripts themselves and try their hand at compiling their own capitulary.
The academies’ day 2026 explores language in all its breadth — from regional forms of expression to digital communication — and asks how language shapes reality, identity, and social cohesion. At the research course, around 20 academy and related infrastructure projects will present their work at stands and hands-on stations, and in conversation with visitors. Topics range from historical written sources to dialects and sign languages, and from these to the use of digital methods and artificial intelligence in language research.
When: 8 September 2026, 10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Where: Adam-von-Trott-Saal, Göttingen
Further information on the academies’ day and the full programme can be found here.
We look forward to many engaging conversations, and curious questions about medieval legal texts, copying errors, and the art of scholarly editing!